Wow, what a night!
Yesterday’s Tech Nation on Tour event in Manchester, at the rather select settings of No. 1 Spinningfields was an absolute triumph!
Oversubscribed to the point that over two hundred more people were signed up for a venue that seated 300+, it engaged from the minute we walked in!
From Tech Nation CEO Gerard Grech‘s excellent intro, buoyant yet pragmatic about Manchester’s place in UK tech to the delightful Tech Nation 2018 Report presentation by data science double act Henri Egle Sorotos and Lucy Cousins, to the riveting panel with Gail Jones, Managing Director, UKFast, Hannah Anderson, co-founder Social Chain, Amman Ahmed, Founder, Music for Pets, Sarah Wood, Chair and Co-founder, Unruly, deftly compered by journalist Helen Nugent, it made for a very enlightening two hours that zipped by far too quickly.
Manchester knows how to be enthusiastic about Manchester and no more so than in tech but yesterday was a sign of things to come.
Encouraging, heartwarming and soundly pragmatic, full of Northern Soul, dare I say it!
Thank you to Ash Hough, Jazz Handley and the excellent events team at Tech Nation for a brilliant couple of hours. Great venue, food, vibe/music, everything. Power to you!
Here come my favourite recollections, in tweets.
#WeAreTechNation pic.twitter.com/iHzVC6Xi36
— Jazz Hanley (@DigitalJazz) October 4, 2018
Enjoying being at the Manchester leg of the epic that is the @TechNation on Tour. @gerardgrech kicking off #WeAreTechNation pic.twitter.com/14iLyPwxe8
— Chi-chi Ekweozor (@thisischichi) October 4, 2018
“With talent & investment anything is possible” says @gerardgrech at @TechNation Manchester launch event. So cool to see a packed room of ambitious, successful digital entrepreneurs including the awsm @musicforpets @mediachain_ @UKFast WeAreTechNation
— Sarah Wood (@sarahfwood) October 4, 2018
"When it comes to unicorns, it’s impressive @boohoo @ao & @thehutgroup. Not many capital cities can boast that many" – @gerardgrech on #Manchester & the North West's thriving tech sector
More data and insights on tech in Manchester here: https://t.co/EnNMWbFYMb#WeAreTechNation pic.twitter.com/dYcOqWU6Ut
— Tech Nation (@TechNation) October 4, 2018
A new tech biz is founded every 30 mins in the UK and tech now accounts for 1.87m jobs – Henri & Lucy’s energetic double act brings the data to life 🙂 #wearetechnation pic.twitter.com/0EcMFYaupi
— Sarah Wood (@sarahfwood) October 4, 2018
Also great to hear from Lucy Cousins, @CodeFirstGirls alum on stage presenting her work on the @technation report ? #wearetechnation https://t.co/RBK0e1cBUg
— Lisa Murgatroyd (@lisamurgatroyd) October 4, 2018
Particularly enjoyed hearing about Petflix! https://t.co/j3MDvo2bBm
— Kathryn Mills-Webb (@kathrynmw) October 4, 2018
PetFlicks! ? 6 centuries of content streamed last month on Music for Pets @ammanamd @relaxmydog @RelaxMyCat @TechNation #WeAreTechNation pic.twitter.com/Ma5S9GcuUT
— Chi-chi Ekweozor (@thisischichi) October 4, 2018
On the skills shortage:
"I had nothing to do with tech when I came into this industry. I have a chemistry degree. But there is a shortage of skills. We work with 60k school kids across Manchester combined authority & we help teachers not be scared of tech!" @GailJonesUKFast pic.twitter.com/SYQvVv2l2H
— Tech Nation (@TechNation) October 4, 2018
That's a wrap for TN on Tour #Manchester!
What a room this is; huge turnout, stellar speakers, glorious views, unreal food & only a couple broken glasses..
? to @sarahfwood @GailJonesUKFast @hanzandz @AmmanAmd @RelaxMyDog @UKFast @SocialChain @beastromcr#WeAreTechNation pic.twitter.com/zE7uCFQBRa
— Tech Nation (@TechNation) October 4, 2018
Great event tonight and fantastic to see so many friends and such a great turnout. @TechNation #Manchester!
Well done to everyone on stage. @sarahfwood @hanzandz @AmmanAmd @RelaxMyDog @UKFast @SocialChain @beastromcr@HSorotos & especially @GailJonesUKFast#WeAreTechNation pic.twitter.com/8MPjfB5uZi— Lawrence Jones MBE (@Lawrence_Jones) October 4, 2018
Where you there? What did you think? Do reply in a comment!